On September 29, 2006 Gol Airlines flight 1907 collided mid-air with an Embraer Legacy 600 business jet near the town of Matupa, Brazil. The Legacy jet was owned by ExcelAire of Ronkonkoma, NY, USA and piloted by two Americans. While the Legacy jet landed safely, the Gol Boeing 737-800 crashed in the Amazon forest. All 148 passengers and 6 crew onboard died. The event stood as Brazil's worst aviation disaster for a mere 10 months until TAM Airlines flight 3054 crashed while landing at Congonhas International Airport in Sao Paulo in July 2007.

The Gol tragedy set off a downward spiral for air travel, safety and security in Brazil that continues today.